Essential Summertime Layer Cake

I have been holding on to a copy of What’s Cooking magazine from Kraft for over a year now, with the notion to make the Rainbow Layer Cake pictured on the cover.

It is the spring 2014 issue, but when I first saw it I thought it would make an essential summertime layer cake. So bright and colorful. And fun! just like summertime!

Made with Jell-O brand jelly powder in orange, lime, raspberry and blueberry each layer has a subtle fruity flavor and a vibrant summertime colour.

Baking cakes is a favorite of mine, as it gives me a chance to use the very best things I inherited from my Nana’s kitchen.

Her Bake King round baking pans! They are worn with a patina only lots of use and age can give them, yet they still work like a charm! Nothing sticks to these babies given the release “tab” that rotates under the cake to release it when it is cool.

I have seen them around on Ebay, sometimes with a textured bottom, but also exactly as these ones! They are worth their weight in gold!

The cake I made as per the directions exactly, but in hindsight I think I would make a couple of changes next time.

While the recipe calls for two cake mixes, each divided in half and coloured a different colour. This makes for a very, very tall cake!

I am talking 7 inches tall! That is more than a half foot of cake!

I mean, you may like a really tall cake and that is perfectly okay! Kind of elegant really. If that is the case, just follow the recipes exactly.

I think next time I will reduce the amount of cake batter in each cake pan by about a third and make cupcakes with the rest!

The frosting is pure heaven! Sour cream, icing sugar and whipped topping. I made a batch and a half.

Now that I think about it, a 7 inch tall cake makes for more frosting. Maybe that isn’t so bad after all!

Until next time…..

Maureen

Essential Summertime Layer Cake

Author: Kraft

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 12

A 4-layer cake made with Jell-O jelly powder makes a fun summertime dessert!